‘Ellen’ Star and Soap Opera Alum Dead After Lengthy Career: Alice Hirson Was 95

Veteran actress Alice Hirson, whose six-decade television career spanned from daytime soaps to primetime sitcoms, including her memorable role as Ellen DeGeneres‘ mother on the groundbreaking ABC series Ellen, has died. She was 95. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Hirson passed away from natural causes on Feb. 14 at the Motion Picture & Television Country House and Hospital in Woodland Hills, where she had resided for the past year.

Beginning her career in the 1950s with appearances on anthology series, Hirson established herself as a formidable presence in daytime television, portraying numerous memorable characters across multiple soap operas. From 1969 to 1993, her roles included the ruthless villain Stephanie Martin on The Edge of Night, Marcia Davis in Another World and its spinoff Somerset, Eileen Siegel on One Life to Live, Mrs. Van Gelder on General Hospital, and Dr. Lisa Helman on Loving.

Perhaps most notably, Hirson portrayed Lois Morgan, the mother of Ellen DeGeneres’ character, in 28 episodes of Ellen from 1994 to 1998. Her character was central to one of television’s most historic moments when neither Lois nor her husband Harold (Steven Gilborn) were aware of their daughter’s sexuality until the groundbreaking coming out episode in April 1997.

Born Alice Corinne Thorsell in Brooklyn on March 10, 1929, to homemaker May and electrical engineer Carl, she graduated from the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in 1948. Her early career included a touring production of On the Town before transitioning to television. She also made her mark on Broadway, appearing in several productions, including Traveller Without Luggage and The Investigation.

Beyond her soap opera work and role on Ellen, Hirson appeared in numerous primetime series, including Maude, The Waltons, Barnaby Jones, and Dallas, where she played Mavis Anderson across 26 episodes from 1982-88. Her film credits included roles in Private Benjamin (1980) and Revenge of the Nerds (1984), where she played the wife of Colonel Thornbush and the mother of Anthony Edwards’ Gilbert Lowe, respectively.

Her son David, a Broadway playwright, noted that his mother always viewed theater as her true calling, praising her ability to balance family life with the demanding schedule of soap opera work. General Hospital star Chris McKenna remembered her on Instagram, writing, “We lost a radiant soul and a daytime legend… Her final words were ‘It’s nice to have an audience.’”

Hirson is survived by her sons David and Christopher, a musician, and grandson Daniel. She was preceded in death by her husband, actor Stephen Elliott, whom she met during Traveller Without Luggage and married in 1980.